Improved method of hanging top-sail yards



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JOSEPH B. WooDBURY,

OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

Letters Patent No. 94,806, dated September 14, 1869.

IMPROVED METHOD OF HANGING TOP-SAIL YARDS.

50% The Schedule referred to in theseLetters Patent and making partof the same..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. WooDBURY, of Portland, in the county of' Cumberland, and State of' Maine, have invented a new and useful' Method of Hanging Lower Top-Sail Yards; and l hereby declare the following to be aenll, clear, and exact descrip- -tion thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichp Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mast, with my improvement thereon.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Same letters show like parts.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a method of hanging lower top-sail yards, by which the friction and chaling of the yard, as it is turned intodifferent positions, may be relieved.

My invention consists in attaching .to themast a crane or bent arm, connectedI with which is a device foi` holding the yard, the Whole being so arranged as 'lo' allow ot' the free swinging ot' the yard as may be desired.

This is of great importance in the sailing and management of vessels, as the yard connected in the ordinary method chafes the mast more .or less in the pro- -a hole therein for the crane to pass through. This clamp, as illustrated in the drawing, encompasses only the top-mast v Near the ,-top of the crane, and at'thefoot o f its chain t, as vherein described.

curvature, which is on the top end, is constructed the shoulder d. Immediately below thisis placed the clamp e, with an aperture similar to c, through which passes the stock of the crane in like manner. Thus, the vertical pressure of' the crane, or the weight of the yard, &c., is sustained by the socket b, and the clamp e, and shoulder d.

In the drawings, the .clamp e is shown extending around both masts.

The end of the crane a is fitted with the groove j, to receive the ring or socket o n the end of the bifurgated swinging arm`g, which arm is best seen in 1. glvhrough the rings in the ends of the bifurcations passes the yard B, which is intended to represent the lower top-sail yard.

In iig. 2, the rings,'or one of them, is shown open. Thus suspended, the yard swings with ease and readin'ess, and is quite freed from liability to chafe the mast, the crane turning on its own axis, and 4carrying with it the yard suspended from g. g` is free ou thev curved end of thecrane-a, and is capable of a swinging motion in' a vertical plane.

Further, to support the weight of the yard B, dac.,

a ring, a,may be shrunk around the mast, andthe chain t' stretched therefrom to the end of the crane.

I do not propose to limit my application to the l exact form of' connection with the mast, towit, socket l?, clamps e and e. Many. modes well' known may be used.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to se,- cure by Letters Patent, is-,-

1. The swinging crane a, applied, constructed, and

operating as herein described. 2. The crane a, in combination with ring h and J QS. B. WOODBURY.

Witnesses:

WM. HENRY CLIFFORD, `HENRY C. HOUSTON. 

